“EAGLE SNATCHING KID” SNATCHES 18 MILLION VIEWS

As of this morning (Thursday), a video labeled “Golden Eagle Snatches Kid” has been viewed more than 18.6 million times on YouTube. A television show that had drawn a number like that would have been considered a gigantic hit. The video shows what appears to be an eagle soaring over the trees in a park, […]

KIDS VIDEOS AMONG MOST POPULAR OF 2012

Home-video releases aimed at kids are usually best sellers each year. Parents realize that the discs can bring their kids “endless hours of enjoyment,” as the ads say. This year proved to be no exception, as six of the top ten sellers turned out to be animated features. If there was a surprise in the […]

DREAMWORKS ANIMATION JOINS MASSIVE SHANGHAI PROJECT

DreamWorks Animation and its Chinese partners, unveiled plans in Shanghai today to produce the next Kung Fu Panda movie in China and to open an “entertainment destination” and production company to be called Oriental DreamWorks. Shanghai Daily reported that DreamWorks Animation and its Chinese partners, China Media Capital (CMC), the Shanghai Media Group and Shanghai […]

BRITAIN PLANS ADDED TAX BREAKS FOR ENTERTAIMENT INDUSTRY

The British government said today (Monday) that it will entertain public comment on its proposal to seek additional tax breaks for animation, “high-end” TV drama (i.e. big-budget dramatic programs), and videogames. The announcement of a so-called public consultation was made after Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said in a statement that he wants the […]

DISNEY TO HELP CHINA BUILD ANIMATION BUSINESS

Hollywood’s fascination with China as a future frontier took on a new dimension Tuesday as the Chinese government and the Walt Disney Company announced the creation of the National Animation Creative Research and Development Cooperation [sic]. In a statement, Disney International Chairman Andy Bird said that the plan was to bolster China’s animation industry by […]

SALES SLIDE FOR KUNG FU PANDA 2 AND OTHER DVD’S

Time was when animated movies accounted for a huge percentage of DVD sales. After all, children never seem to tire of playing the same movie multiple times. But now they can do so without touching a disc — if their parents subscribe to an online rental site like Netflix, which allows kids to watch the […]

DISNEY EXEC: MOVIEGOERS WANT SPECTACLE, NOT STORY

Walt Disney Animation Studios chief technical officer Andy Hendrickson has argued that the notion that what draws moviegoers to the theater is a good script is utter “bull***t.” Daily Variety reported today (Tuesday) that on Sunday, Hendrickson showed a chart of the top 12 films of all time to attendees at the Siggraph conference in […]

ATTENDANCE LEVELS FOR 3D MOVIES CONTINUE TO FALL, SAYS ANALYST

When gauged by attendance, only 2 of the top 20 animated movies of all time were produced in 3D (Disney/Pixar’s Up and Toy Story 3), BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield observed in a note to clients on Tuesday. “Despite investor excitement around 3D over the past few years, 3D does not appear to be causing more […]

ANIMATION EXEC DECRIES POSSIBLE ENTRY OF TINTIN IN OSCAR RACE

Animation producer Stephen Paul Leiva has spoken out against Steven Spielberg’s reported efforts to persuade the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to allow his film The Adventures of Tintin, which uses performance-capture technology to compete for an Oscar in the best animated picture category next year. In a commentary published in Sunday’s Los […]

3D LION KING COMING IN SEPTEMBER

Disney is the latest studio to announce plans to release one of its classic films in 3D. Its 1994 hit The Lion King is scheduled to return to theaters on September 16 for a two-week run in 3D. A 3D Blu-ray version will then go on sale at video retailers on October 15 The studio […]

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